March 19, 2009
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN
WBC#4 Japanese super-fly champ Daigo Nakahiro (20-2, 8 KOs), 115, kept his national belt as he pounded out a nearly lopsided decision (100-89, 99-91 and 98-91) over mandatory challenger Kenji Saegusa (18-8-1, 9 KOs), 114.5, over ten frames on Thursday in his native Hiroshima, Japan.
Nakahiro, an intelligent sharpshooter (graduate of Hiroshima Univ.), quickly floored the game challenger with a well-timed left hook in the opening session, and continually took the initiative all the way. Saegusa inexplicably changed his stance to southpaw in this bout and kept on fighting in his unfamiliar stance only to lose almost every round. The speedy champ had him at bay in the last three sessions but failed to finish the fading but still game opponent.
Koji Itagaki (8-1, 3 KOs), 108, came off the canvas twice in the third, and earned a majority duke (77-74 twice and 75-75) over ex-OPBF champ Genki Ohnaka (15-5-1, 8 KOs), 108, a tall and lanky southpaw, over eight. Itagaki fought back hard from the fourth on and battered the ex-champ to the punch down the stretch.
Promoter: Hiroshima Sanei Promotions.
(3-19-09)
March 18, 2009
TOKYO, JAPAN
Ex-Japanese flyweight champ Kenji Yoshida (14-9, 5 KOs), 114.25, showed a quite different style in outjabbing Jockeylek Sithsoei (10-10-1, 2 KOs), 108.5, winning a shutout decision (80-74 twice and 80-73) over eight on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. Yoshida, a notorious bull-fighter always boring in from the head, didn’t display his favorite third punch but kept jabbing and outpunching the game but mediocre Thai opponent all night. But Yoshida seemed to have left his usual zip in a dressing room.
Japanese #6 feather Retsuri Lee (12-1-1, 7 KOs), 128, overwhelmed stylish Thailander Daochai Sithsoei (9-7-1, 2 KOs), 125.75, had him on the deck twice and halted him at 1:35 of the fifth round in a supporting eight. Daochai, formerly an excellent amateur boxer, failed to become an Olympian out of Thailand, but looked short of necessary durability and power to be successful in the paid ranks.
Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(3-18-09)